Britomart is a vibrant
nine-block precinct at the
centre of waterfront Auckland.
Britomart
Britomart is a place where past and future collide, where renovated dockside warehouses jostle up to sleek new architecture, where gritty brick laneways full of lively bars give way to plant-filled streets and a sunny square lined with world-leading restaurants and chic boutiques. Britomart – home to the headquarters of Westpac, EY, innovative co-working space Generator and a host of other market-leading businesses, and located right above the city’s busiest public transport hub – is the crossroads where Auckland sees the best of itself: clever, creative, rich in history and full of promise.
History
Britomart is a site rich in history. The mana whenua of the area are the Ngāti Whātua people; it was their chief, Apihai Te Kawau, who gifted 3000 acres of the area to Governor Hobson for the construction of a new capital city after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
1840s-1870s
After the gift of land from Ngāti Whātua, Te Rerenga Ora Iti, the headland that once dominated the area, was renamed Point Britomart by colonial settlers and became a base for colonial troops. Its name was taken from a Royal Navy gunship, HMS Britomart, which was the first English vessel to carry out a detailed survey of the Waitematā Harbour in 1841.
1870s-1880s
Most of Britomart as we know it today was under water until the 1870s, when Port Britomart was levelled and the land around it reclaimed from the sea to create improved facilities for a rapidly growing port and city around it.
1880s-1900s
From the 1880s, the area of reclaimed land became one of Auckland's principal business districts, with many of the offices and warehouses built during this period now refurbished and serving new generations of occupants today.
1960s-1990s
In the latter half of the 20th century, Britomart fell on hard times. A new bus depot occupied the centre of the precinct, and many of the buildings were shuttered and scheduled for demolition. Eventually the council made plans to bring rail tracks into the heart of the city, and to save the heritage buildings around the new station.
2002
After an international design competition and a lengthy competitive bid process, Cooper and Company took over full responsibility for the regeneration and long-term management of Britomart with a long-term lease of the precinct. Since then, heritage buildings have been gradually refurbished and combined with new architecture, plant-filled streets and a sunny public square.
Today
Britomart’s nine blocks are now occupied by a vibrant mix of offices, boutiques, bars, cafes and eateries centred around Te Ara Tahuhu, a verdant pedestrian-only street, and Takutai Square, the square at the heart of the Britomart community.
Britomart Tenant Directory
Sustainability
Britomart is serious about sustainability. The precinct is located above the city’s busiest train station, and Britomart is the first property management company in New Zealand to commit to the Green Star Performance tool, a rigorous, innovative system for measuring and managing buildings and continuously improving their performance. Social sustainability is also one of our key goals, supported by an arts, culture and urban design programme with a strong focus on inclusion, diversity and making the widest possible range of people feel welcome in and stimulated by our downtown waterfront neighbourhood.
Britomart is founded on a collaboration between the Britomart Group and Auckland Council. Cooper and Company is the asset and development manager for the Britomart Group, which holds a contract for the long-term ownership and development of the Britomart Precinct.
Cooper and Company is a private investment company with offices in Auckland, California and Texas. It was founded in 1989 by Peter Cooper, a New Zealander who divides his time between New Zealand and the US.
Cooper and Company invests in, manages and develops assets on a long-term basis in two main areas: real estate in both New Zealand and the United States, and private equity, with a focus on financial services and energy solutions.
In 2002 the Britomart development contract was put up for tender by Auckland City Council. One of the bidders was the Bluewater Consortium, led by Cooper and Company, then known as Bluewater Management Company. After a lengthy and highly competitive international bid process, the Britomart contract was awarded to the Bluewater Consortium in 2004. In 2006 Bluewater Management Company bought out its partners in the Consortium and in April 2008 changed its name to Cooper and Company.
Day to day property, facilities and precinct management of Britomart and the Britomart Car Park is provided by Britomart Group Management Company, with Cooper and Company having responsibility for strategic asset management, including property development.
Besides Britomart, Cooper and Company’s real estate activities include Bay of Islands heritage and conservation property The Landing (and luxury private accommodation at The Landing Residences) and master-planned Texas town centre Southlake Town Square.
Leasing
Come and join us at Britomart, the best place in Auckland to do business.
Britomart’s nine blocks make up a dynamic and diverse business community populated by some of the country’s most innovative enterprises, where meetings are as likely to take place in one of the neighbourhood’s many cafes as they are in a boardroom. Tenancies range from boutique character spaces in heritage buildings and bustling retail boutiques to contemporary premises in Green Star-rated offices.
For leasing enquiries, please contact Jeremy Priddy. jeremy.priddy@cooperandcompany.org
